Love Of Oats

A blog dedicated to balancing a healthy and fun life… with oats!

Tag Archives: biggest loser

Back To Work

It was definitely a rough time getting up this morning… I guess after three days of getting to sleep in until 7am, today really hit me hard!  I still feel like I’m in a fog, but I’m going to blame it on the snow & the freezing 20 degree weather that we are experiencing… come on Spring!

Luckily, my breakfast put me in a good mood… nothing like a hearty bowl of oats to get me going, right?  In this delicious bowl, I combined 1/2 c oats, cinnamon, splash of vanilla, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, chopped pecans, ground flax, and a sprinkling of Zoe’s granola.  Uh, can you say YUM?!

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Since I knew it would be cold out, I packed some oatbran to make mid morning at work.  When I packed my lunch, I figured I’d be in the mood for a warming snack and I was glad I did that because it sure warmed me up!

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For lunch, I packed a chicken & pepperjack cheese sandwich on Vermont wheat bread.  I just LOVE this bread, it’s still so fresh and I LOVE the texture!  On the side I had an apple and a 100 calorie pack of Girl Scout cookies.  Yes, the cookies are playing chameleon because they blend in perfectly with my foil!

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I got stuck at work later than normal since I wasn’t there yesterday and I also skipped the gym.  I did get in my cardio yesterday and well, to be honest, today I just felt both mentally and physically exhausted so I decided to rest.  I did go home and do my yoga though, which made me feel fabulous.  I did a 25 minute Rodney Yee session.  I have yet to try Yoga Downloads simply because I’m hooked on Rodney Yee & the P90X Yoga X; however I think Yoga Downloads will be making an appearance at some point this week, I can feel it :)   What sessions do you recommend (I’m BAD at flexibility & stabilizing myself)?

I am trying to cut back on cardio since I have become even more addicted.  Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I want to feel like I don’t HAVE to do it all the time.  When I strength train, I feel like it’s not a workout because I’m not dripping sweat everywhere (sorry for the visual).  Has anyone else gotten over this feeling?  If so, I need your help!!!

Despite the fact that I’m cutting back on cardio, I have a special announcement to reveal tomorrow morning in regards to training…

When I got home, I knew we still had about 2 hours until dinner and I was feeling a little hungry, so I had a snack of Nature’s Path Vanilla Almond Flax Plus granola and almond breeze.  I love this granola, but I wish it wasn’t so calorie-dense.

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Dinner as a totally new recipe for me.

Peanutty Pasta, Protein, & Peas

  • 2 Servings Cooked WW Pasta
  • 8 ounces thawed chicken breast
  • 1 bag frozen pea, carrot, string bean, and corn mix
  • 1/3 C natural chunky peanut butter
  • 2 T garlic powder
  • 1 T crushed black pepper
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1/2 T salt
  • 1 T sriracha

Mix peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, sriracha, lemon juice, and seasonings in a bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds and then whisk until well combined.

Cook chicken in pan and cut into chunks.  Once chicken is well cooked, add in the bag of frozen veggies, stirring until cooked well.  Pour chicken and veggies into large pot of drained pasta (keeping a little bit of pasta water, maybe 1/4 cup remaining in the pot) on low to medium heat.  Pour in peanut sauce, stirring while combining well.  Once everything is well combined and HOT (after a few minutes), then serve and enjoy!

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Ok, well before I go, I have to share with you a fantastic giveaway that Chocolate Covered Katie’s is hosting:   Jocolat giveaway!  How amazing is that?!  I <3 the Jocolat bars, however haven’t found them in any local stores.  The only time I tried them was at a race last year!

Now off to snuggle in my pj’s & get ready for the Biggest Loser!

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Happy Thursday!  Well at this point, we are closer to Friday than we are to Thursday, so yay for that!  Let’s hope tomorrow’s work day goes by as fast as today’s did :)

I started out the day with a yummy bowl:  Kashi Heart 2 Heart topped with pecans, flax, and almond breeze!  After seeing that I have two full boxes of Kashi Heart 2 Heart in my pantry, I realized I should probably start eating it!  Don’t get me wrong, I love the cereal but I’ve been hooked on Zoe’s & Nature’s Path cereals lately :)

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I was a busy bee this morning and took a quick break to munch on this apple & string cheese.  Usually this snack doesn’t hold me over, but for some reason it did today, so I might repeat it for tomorrow since we have a few sticks left :)

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My lunch was really filling and quite satisfying!  I loved all of the different components to this lunch too… sooo many flavors, so little time haha… not really, this lunch took me almost an hour from start to finish (keep in mind I work while I eat!)… To start, I had a green salad topped with balsamic dressing that I packed separately.  Then I heated up this can of Campbell’s Select Harvest New England Clam Chowder soup.  I have been trying to steer clear of canned soups unless they are Amy’s brand, but I had these in our pantry and I’m trying to use up as much food as possible before we move, so in the spirit of not wasting food, I gave this one a whirl.  Surprisingly, I actually really enjoyed it.  It’s been a while since I had clam chowder so it kind of satisfied a craving that I didn’t know I had :)   What is my all-time favorite kind/flavor of soup?  I snacked on two Wasa crispbreads while enjoying the soup.  Finally, for my dessert, I had a coffee flavored yogurt.  Yum! 

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I was pretty full after eating my lunch, I’m not used to eating that many components for lunch :)

After I finish up work, I’m planning on eating half of this Pure Protein Hot ‘n Healthy bar before I head to the gym for some cardio.  The only place I can find these bars is Giant, as an FYI.  I’m planning on doing the elliptical again, I know, I’m hooked… don’t worry, I think I’m going to change it up tomorrow!  Then, on my drive to the grocery store, I’ll have the other half of the bar :)

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When I get home, I’m going to do a brief abs workout:  aka 8 minute abs!  Then it will be time to start on dinner… I’ll be back later alligators ;)

PS.  What did ya’ll think of Biggest Loser?  I don’t want to spoil it but I was SO disappointed about who went home last night.  I really think that all of a sudden the game plan is now in full force!

PSS.  I caught myself in a stress-y situation today and realized I wasn’t fully breathing so I began taking my deep breaths and it calmed me right down.  Is anyone still practicing their breathing?  This is going to be a long challenge for me!